Putting It All Together. County by County Data and Action Agenda. Illinois Kids Count 1998-1999.

Voices for Illinois Children, Chicago.

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Illinois' children, focusing on the impact of federal and state welfare reform. The statistical portrait is based on 14 indicators of well-being: (1) families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; (2) child support enforcement; (3) children enrolled in Head Start or Pre-Kindergarten; (4) child care cost; (5) availability of subsidized child care in licensed centers and homes; (6) revenues per pupil in primary and secondary schools; (7) student mobility; (8) infant mortality; (9) uninsured children; (10) children receiving food stamps; (11) child death; (12) new families at risk; (13) child abuse and neglect; and (14) children in foster/substitute care. The report outlines an action agenda that involves promoting economic security, expanding quality early learning, providing health care, and strengthening vulnerable families. The report also describes federal and state welfare changes; and presents interviews with experts regarding the challenges facing Illinois families and the impact of welfare reform. The bulk of the document is comprised of data tables delineating countywide data on the indicators. Findings indicate that in 10 areas of child well-being, Illinois ranks thirty-eighth, marking a decline from the previous ranking of 35. Illinois has a high percentage of children living in extreme poverty, the second highest high school dropout rate in the Midwest, and the highest infant mortality rate and teen birth rate in the Midwest. References precede county data. (KB)